Sci-Phi: Science Fiction as Philosophy

by David Kyle Johnson

13 hours and 31 minutes

The science fiction genre has become increasingly influential in mainstream popular culture, evolving into one of the most engaging storytelling tools we use to think about technology and consider the shape of the future. Along the way, it has also become one of the major lenses we use to explore important philosophical questions.

The origins of science fiction are most often thought to trace to Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, a story born from a night of spooky tale-telling by the fireside that explores scientific, moral, and ethical questions that were of great concern in the 19th century - and that continue to resonate today. And, although novels and short stories built the foundations of science fiction, film and television have emerged as equally powerful, experimental, and enjoyable ways to experience the genre. Even as far back as the silent era, films like Fritz Lang's Metropolis have used science fiction to tell stories that explore many facets of human experience.

In Sci-Phi: Science Fiction as Philosophy, Professor of Philosophy David Kyle Johnson, of King's College, takes you on a 24-lecture exploration of the final frontiers of philosophy across several decades of science fiction in film and television. From big-budget blockbusters to television series featuring aliens in rubber masks, Professor Johnson finds food for philosophical thought in a wide range of stories. By looking at serious questions through astonishing tales and astounding technologies, you will see how science fiction allows us to consider immense, vital - and sometimes controversial - ideas with a rare combination of engagement and critical distance.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Science, Education, History, Literary Criticism

Audiobook

Published May 25, 2018

Reviews

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this course is a misnomer as it suggests that the subject matter will be philosophical concepts derived from science fiction. Rather, Johnson uses science fiction to illustrate and explore ideas developed by some of the real world's great philosophers. The mislabeling aside, Sci-Phi is a truly enjoyable and thought provoking work that explores a wide variety of subjects such as the existence of free will, science vs. religion, the possibility that we live in a computer simulation, and the ethics of colonialism. Johnson does an excellent job of explaining such complicated concepts and offering varied perspectives on each. However, his surprising tendency to reach seemingly definitive resolutions to some of these fundamental questions can comes across as overly simplistic.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I want to say, and I'm only gonna say this once in this review, I know the Great Courses are not, strictly speaking, books. Still, I get them through Audible.com and that makes them books to me.

This one is definitely more than it appears, not just a fun romp. In a series of lectures that are based on science fiction movies and TV shows, it really delves into the big questions of philosophy. I was not only entertained but I had my brain stretched with this one. Definitely worth my time.

[Nici · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow that was incredible!

'Sci-Phi: Science Fiction as Philosophy' is a philosophy course which uses scifi movies and shows to teach the concepts. For each of the 24 lectures you are asked to watch a movie or so as homework/preparation.

As I'm very much into both philosophy and scifi this approach was great for me and I really enjoyed it during the first half of the course. I watched many movies that I did not know before and learned a lot about philosophy.
After a while I found that I enjoy listening to this course a lot more than actually watching the movies so I ended up skipping the watching part and just did the learning part. That's good as well because there's always a summary of the movie given and I did not really miss anything.

[Beauregard Bottomley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got to re-watch many of the movies featured in these lectures. Oddly, I tried to watch Dr. Who, but it just doesn't connect with me for a host of reasons. Dr. Johnson makes the point that can't be emphasized enough, just because an author or director says that his work means something that doesn't necessarily make it so. He'll end the lecture series with '2001: A Space Odyssey' and Kubrick said it was about Nietzsche's superman, but Dr. Johnson will say that it probably is not.

[James Tomasino · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's not nearly enough philosophy OF science fiction in these lectures. Instead it's a survey of philosophies with examples in sci-fi.

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have enjoyed having a conversation with the lecturer about the films he covers and the philosophies that inspired them. However, I've had better conversations with my friends about these films and other science fiction films so there is that, but he definitely knew more about the philosophical connections than any of my friends. So in that regard, the course is effective and serves its purpose.

[Markus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uninspired and milquetoast

[Terry Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is hands-down the best philosophy 'book' I've come across. It's from the Great Courses series, which means it's actually a series of lectures, but what lectures they are. Each one is centred around one or more sci-fi films, books or shows, using them to illustrate a philosophical point or to pose philosophical questions. It works on every level. As interesting riffs on sci-fi you love, it delivers in spades. As clever, balanced and well-reasoned coverage of key points of philosophy, it delivers in spades. Is passionate, interestingly delivered lectures, it delivers in spades. Anyone who loves sci-fi should check this out.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a re-upload because Goodreads doesn't think the version I originally rated is a book anymore, despite having more reviews and ratings than this entry ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

If I hadn't already done The Big Questions of Philosophy, I'd be rounding this up to 4-stars. This was a great course in that it explored the philosophical ideas within many popular films and series. It was a great format because it allowed you to engage with the content on a more personal level and made the barrier to entry far less daunting for anyone who might not be as versed in philosophical concepts.

That being said, there were a few issues I had with the content. There were a few topics where the lecturer tended to focus too much on the philosophical aspects more than integrating them into the media that supposedly spawned the discussion. One or two interpretations were questionable and seemed somewhat forced in order to talk about a specific topic. Having done The Big Questions course already, there was quite a bit of overlap in content and the lecturer even referred to that course on numerous occasions. And I think that's ultimately why I preferred that one. It had more depth to its discussions which this one often, but understandably lacked.

All that being said, if you're looking to dip your toes into philosophical ideas and how philosophers think about various topics, this is an easy recommendation. He uses a wide variety of media, meaning you're bound to know quite a few, and some of his interpretations really make you look at the stories in a new light. He also does a great job of tieing the wide range of topics together, giving the course a nice flow.

[Josiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy intro to philosophy course for science fiction enthusiasts. Its fun, thoughtful, and approachable.

I highly recommend it for anyone who is somewhat interested in both.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it
10/10
Pure delight

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This course uses science fiction films and television series to discuss various abstract concepts in philosophy, physics (quantum mechanics), psychology, and science.

There are 24 Lectures
1. “Inception” and the Interpretation of Art
2. “The Matrix” and the Value of Knowledge
3. “The Matrix” Sequels and Human Free Will
4. “The Adjustment Bureau”, the Force, and Fate
5. “Contact”: Science versus Religion
6. “Arrival”: Aliens and Radical Translation
7. “Interstellar”: Is Time Travel Possible?
8. “Doctor Who” and Time Travel Paradoxes
9. “Star Trek: TNG” and Alternate Worlds
10. “Dark City”, “Dollhouse”, and Personal Identity
11. “Westworld” and A.I. Artificial Intelligence
12. “Transcendence” and the Dangers of AI
13. “The Thirteenth Floor”: Are We Simulated?
14. The Orville, Orwell, and the “Black Mirror”
15. “Star Wars”: Good versus Evil
16. “Firefly”, “Blake's 7”, and Political Rebellion
17. “Starship Troopers”, “Doctor Who”, and Just War
18. The Prime Directive and Postcolonialism
19. Capitalism in “Metropolis”, “Elysium”, and Panem
20. “Snowpiercer” and Climate Change
21. “Soylent Green”: Overpopulation and Euthanasia
22. “Gattaca” and the Ethics of Reproduction
23. “The Handmaid's Tale”: Feminism and Religion
24. Kubrick’s “2001” and Nietzsche’s Übermensch

Listeners are asked to watch a particular film or television show episode prior to each lecture, but as the professor gives sufficient summary, that isn’t strictly necessary.

This course is something best listened to one lecture at time as it throws a lot of abstract ideas around that listeners may need time to chew on and digest. Also, fans of hard science fiction may enjoy it more than fans of soft science fiction due to its science heavy content.

As a casual science fiction fan, I did enjoy this course although I prefer literature to film, so many of my favorite works were omitted. Both A.I. and time travel are discussed at length, which are topics that don’t particularly interest me. I think readers/listeners whose tastes align more with the course’s content and filmography will definitely get more out of it.

[Lamadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not expect to learn so much from this. I've had bad luck with previous philosophy books and a course in college. I understand now that my previous attempts were actually history of philosophy and didn't discuss any actual philosophy. This course poses a question each lecture that is exemplified by a science fiction movie or TV show (some of which are based on books, but he only assigns the movie, so you can do your assignment faster). The movie or TV show helps to illustrate the question just like a thought experiment does so that we can understand it and the implications. He then discusses what different philosophers have said about the question and walks through a logical argument about it. I now understand that I have been doing kinds of philosophy in my head for many years, but I didn't know it. These kinds of questions are all over science fiction and anyone who has been reading SF will have thought long and hard about these things. Now I have a better grasp of these questions, how to understand them, and the implications of them. It was also entertaining and did the impossible, made me enjoy philosophy. I'm going to check out his Big Questions course next and see if I still like it without all the SF.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good. The Professor is easy to understand (and his voice is unobjectionable), his lecture formats are clear and easy to follow and, best of all, he takes what I love best about science-fiction (the way it presents a "what if" scenario and then explores how the Human would deal with it) and ties it directly to those 'fusty' 19th and early 20th Century writers that I pretty much wrote off as being no longer relevant, and shows that No, those ideas are still relevant and that they will be as long as people are people.

[Kail · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really a philosophy lecture, just a long rambling talk about sci-fi.

[Tyson Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Science Fiction: more than just pew-pew noises.

Science Fiction as Philosophy is a Great Courses series in which each lecture uses an example sci-fi movie or show (plus a few supporting examples) to discuss a philosophical concept. This illustrates both the depth of sci-fi and creates a starting point to draw various philosophical ideas together. David K Johnson presents this broad-ranging series.

The audiobook/lecture series is much like the rest of the Great Courses and includes course notes. The notes book in this instance is presented as a lot of dot points - I don't remember this being the case in other Great Courses. It was incredibly handy for doing the lateral reading.

This was a fantastic series. The lecturer was able to cover a lot of material in a concise and accessible manner. Johnson also managed to retain a sense of humour that we entertaining in what could have been dry and boring subject matter.

It was great to revisit so many of my favourite sci-fi movies and shows to discuss them with a philosophical eye. This was generally well done and interesting. The deeper insights were not necessarily surprising to sci-fi fans but I generally found a bit more depth to the material here than in the usual pop-philosophy discussions.

That said, there were times where the lectures felt like the cliff notes of philosophy, which isn't that surprising for something covering a lot of ground. For some topics, I noticed that material was a shortened version of things like the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. So this could feel a bit light on if you are familiar with the philosophy being discussed.

Overall, I really enjoyed this Great Courses series and want to dive into some of the other series David K Johnson has made.

Comments while reading:
Lots of great material and subject matter. Highlighted a few of my old favourites, like The Thirteenth Floor.

I have so many issues with the Simulation Hypothesis and 20% chance figure. Personally, I think we should dismiss it in much the same way we dismiss the Devil's Veil, Brain in a Vat, Matrix, and other similar ideas. Materialism is a much better explanation, as discussed in a previous lecture/chapter.

My main issue with the idea is that the probability matrix and reasoning are essentially Pascal's Wager (which is predated by several other versions). The problem is that you can use this reasoning to justify just about anything. Replace belief that we're living in a simulation with belief in magic or god or superman or evil superman or the free market. Nonsense can be granted a "logical" and "rational" foundation which could then be used to justify atrocities - e.g. you could justify killing people because it's only a simulation.

Pascal's wager: Believing in and searching for kryptonite — on the off chance that Superman exists and wants to kill you. https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Pascal%...

The section on militarism vs pacifism vs just war is a little disappointing. It starts strong with the castigation of militarism. The pacifism is covered reasonably, the best bit being the dispelling of the idea of pacifism being about just rolling over to violence rather than finding non-violent ways to address violence/militarism. But then Johnson kinda falls prey of several ahistorical factors and militaristic ideas in being critical of pacifism. Which leads into just war as some sort of compromise between the two.

I disagree here. I'd argue that just war isn't a middle ground but instead a justification for militarism through a pseudo-intellectual justification. Take any of the given requirements of just war and you won't find a single war (or conflict) that meets the criteria. Even going historically (it's meant to be used prior and during) you have to be pretty selective in your cherry-picking to get things to fit. E.g. Hitler and the Nazis were bad, so WW2 was all good... well, except the conditions for WW2 were sown at the close of WW1 and could have easily been avoided, the war supplies to Germany could have easily been closed (although that would have stopped the US companies making big $$ from the Nazis), and the Nazis party could have not been internationally endorsed. In other words, the only reason you can meet Just War is if you turn a blind eye for a couple of decades and wait for atrocities to start happening and use those as a post-hoc reason to go to war (they didn't know about the atrocities until after going to war).

There's nothing like being reminded of how terrible Robert Nozick's philosophy was/is. "Rawls was wrong because people earn stuff, even when they cheated or got lucky, and most actually get lucky, BUT THEY EARNED IT DAMMIT!!"

I think Johnson is way off the mark on the luke-warmerism of Snowpiercer. I'm not sure if this is just a really bad take on his part or if he is unaware of the arguments around geoengineering solutions to climate change. Probably a bit of both. Point being, geoengineering is seen by its critics as offering similar unforeseen consequences as the burning of fossil fuels. This means Snowpiercer exists in a world where delay by the powerful required hubristic action that once again disproportionally impacted the poor. Maybe the problem is that Johnson was trying to discuss something fresher, since Snowpiercer has been written about quite a bit from the class struggle perspective, and was trying to fit within his lecture structure.

[Nestor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that the book brought together philosophy with my passion for science fiction. Sci-Fi is not escapist literature for teenagers, it is a way of exploring all the possible futures for humanity, and in all those possible futures, we find the one we live in. Although I think that nobody imagined an ultra-right with a voracious and predatory capitalism like the one that pretends to govern the world full of lunatics, like Trump, Milei, Bolsonaro, and Meloni who seem to come from the most extreme wing of a psychiatric hospital, and that there is a society that, despite being harmed by hatred, follows them.

We could call it an introductory course, since it analyzes the philosophical aspects of the films, but does not go into too much depth, it would have been better if instead of analyzing the films he'd scrutinized the books on which many of them are based. That's why it deserves 4 stars.

Book Cites and Comments:
• The universe is not a deterministic system. Quantum mechanics has taught us that determinism is false. --->
What a paradox! Numerous experiments validate the phenomena described by quantum mechanics, leaving little room for doubt. We rely on these principles to support the idea that we do not live in a deterministic universe and that free will exists. However, quantum mechanics fails to address more fundamental questions, such as how the wave function collapses, whether this collapse depends on the observer, and the conditions under which it occurs at time zero. If quantum mechanics cannot provide answers to these basic inquiries, it suggests that it is merely a description of reality rather than reality itself. Thus, claiming that the universe is non-deterministic and that free will is genuine may be a fallacy, wouldn't you agree? Does randomness not equate to free will? Not even an AGI may resolve the fundamental philosophical questions that have puzzled humanity for centuries.

• Religion is about “proper ethical values and the spiritual meaning of our lives.
---> Yeah tell that to them when they ask for money to rape kids.


• Fascist governments control the entire nation’s industry and commerce in the name of economic stability and self-reliance and discourage economic interaction with foreign powers, thus endorsing a mercantilism that suggests you should only buy or sell things made within your own country. Fascism rejects the notion that violence is morally problematic. Instead, it sees war and imperialism (annexing other territories) as a way of strengthening the nation.
----> All that the Trump's government did and wants to do.

[Mikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

19 Dec 2021: As I'm currently watching the Great Courses video of this material, I thought it would be a good idea to get the handbook. This is fascinating stuff and reading the transcripts after each lecture is a good way of bringing the material back to mind. There are also extra questions which serve to challenge thought processes and stimulate further exploration. To be continued...

16 Jan 2022: both the course and the handbook are excellent. Many excursions into philosophy which used science fiction as resource material, and 'mental gymnastics' as a method to explore along the way. So much more to delve into as I'm fascinated by how we think, how we reason and how we arrive at our understanding of the great questions of life, which are never fully understood but we continue to explore anyway. That's what makes us human - the desire and capacity to use our minds to ponder the great questions of existence, both our own and that of all living creatures (including the probability of extra-terrestrial beings) in our quest to understand why we're here and if there's a higher purpose to having the 'gift of life', what that purpose entails.

There's only so much that one course can include. I will continue to read and ponder and pursue my lifelong learning until my time in this mortal frame on this plane is over. Other books and courses beckon. Onward.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed rewatching the sci-fi films assigned per chapter/subject in this course and then reading the ethical parallels outlined by the instructor. It took awhile as there was some wait time for those movies I had to reserve from the library. I was happy to find Blake’s 7 on Britbox. Some I still had at home on dvd, others were easy to fine on Netflix or Prime. The movies I was loathe to (re)watch were not a problem as the author discusses the plot line and gives spoilers so you could do the course without the movies.
After each chapter there is a list of additional sci-fi films, tv and print resources that fit each category which I also liked to peruse. I recommend reading the book over watching the lectures, which, based on the introduction only, seem to be practically verbatim.

[Randolph King · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lecture series by The Great Courses. It uses science fiction, specifically science fiction movies, to illustrate philosophical concepts. In 24 lectures, he discusses science fiction movies and how the relate to ideas in philosophy.

In each lecture, Dr. Johnson asks you to watch a movie. Then in the next lecture he discusses the movie and ties it in to philosophy.

The movies selected are enjoyable for the most part and offer interesting ideas to consider. These include Inception, The Matrix, The Adjustment Bureau, Arrival and such. He also covers Star Trek and Doctor Who. He ends with 2001 and a discussion of Nietzche, comparing the star child at the end to the idea of the übermensch.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic. The collection of issues raised and the examples from science fiction were fantastic and super interesting. I had a great time listening to this and may do so again at some point. The presenter was excellent at clarifying his points and generally used well-thought-out logic. I'd definitely listen to more of this if I could. This would be great for anyone interested in philosophy and/or ethics. Most who like philosophy will also like this a lot. I highly recommend this.

[JT · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, this was interesting. I liked that each chapter had a focus, although he seemed to feel that Star Wars is part of all movies/chapters. He also had very clear bias, but didn't seem to be aware of it. I think if he had just been honest about that instead of concluding that his way is the only logical way would have been easier to listen to - if it weren't for this, I could have really enjoyed the entire collection.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think for anyone who's a fan of SciFi, this course was sort of... obvious. Of course science fiction is a platform to examine major issues. Anyone who's paid any attention to the genre knows that. It was entertaining to listen to, and I certainly learned some things about the particular theories behind the ideas in various films and books, but I guess I was hoping for more of a revelation than it was. Still would recommend though.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great series of lectures exploring how Science Fiction is used to delve into a multitude of philosophical issues (e.g. Time, Sentience, Artificial Intelligence, Reality, Self, Morality, etc, etc). There were a lot of examples, a few books, some TV, but mostly movies. Pretty much everything was fairly mainstream and accessible. There is so much more to explore! I hope there is another similar lecture series delving further TV and books.

[Todd Cheng · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strangely scholastic deconstruction of fictional plots about science. He covers the plots of Star Trek, Dr. Who, Back to the Future, Inception, and just about any other movie or episode that has a going back in time concept or science fiction. He speaks well to the topics, he is a great orator, but not sure this is great academic materials in philosophy. It might be better as sci-fi plot development course and western culture. The philosophy was a stretch for my conception.

[Florin Cristian · Rating 5 out of 5]

this gave me different and mind bending perspectives of the sci-fi works I so much enjoyed. I also appreciated the well thought through and analytical discourse that built, step by step, a well articulated exposition.
the only comment I have is about the availability of the reading material and references which lack in the audible version :(

[Uli Vogel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly entertaining introduction to SOME basic concepts of philosophy and affected fields of science and technology. I felt the plot clarifications in part a bit to extended but also simplified, especially when you already knew the book or movie he was referring to. Which in most parts I did.

[Linus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and entertaining course, digging deep into both sci-fi and philosophy and discussing topics ranging from androids and conscious machines to what happens if you kill your past self. Recommended!

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun and interesting lecture series completed during my daily commute. Some of the topics sparked a few conversations with my fellow freaks and geeks. Highly recommend the series to any SciFi enthusiasts.

What lecture series do I want to do next???

[cypher · Rating 3 out of 5]

basically a book about offering some explanations for a few big hit science fiction movies.
it’s ok, but some of the logical explanations for things like freewill and god and simulated realities are not the most logical…just the kinda-logical things which are super popular and people keep saying to other people…it goes through a lot of movies, which makes it entertaining.